Apparatus for and process of die-casting pure aluminum, its alloys, and other lighter metals.



F. H. BURST.

APPARATUS FOR AND PROCESS OF DIE LASUNG FURE ALuMmbM, iTS ALLOYS, AND OTHER LIGHTER METALS.

1,215q243 APPLICATXQN FILED JUNEEZ, 1916 Feb. 6, A)

Witnesses Atior 'neys UN1TED s' *ras PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. BOBST, OF ARTESIAN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

APPARATUS FOR AND PROCESS DIEeCASTING PURE ALUMINUM, ITS ALLOYS, AND

OTHER LIGHTER METALS.

State of South Dakota, have invented a new" and useful Apparatus for and Process of.

Die-Casting Pure Aluminum, Its Alloys, and other Lighter Metals, of which the fol-- lowing is a specification.

The present invention appertains to an apparatus for and process of die casting aluminum and other lighter metals or materials.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved method for casting aluminum and equivalent materials in a thoroughly practical and eificlent manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of novel and improved constructionto carry out the process.

Heretofore, it hasbeen difiicult if not impossible to cast small articles of aluminum and other lighter metals, due to the fact that the aluminum when poured in a molten state into a mold is-not sufliciently heavy to fill the cavities of the mold, thus producing voids and resulting in an imperfect and incomplete casting. Various methods have been attempted with little or no success, whereas the present invention provides ellicient and simple means whereby small articles can be cast from aluminum in a perfeet and reliable manner.

The salient features of the invention are the advantage taken of centrifugal force for delivering the molten aluminum into the cavities of the die or mold, and the discharge of the air from the outer end of the mold in a direction opposite tothe flow of metal into the mold. and it is these two features combined which render the apparahis and process feasible and effective.

"With the foregoing and other objects'in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it. being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within Specification of Letters Patent.

handle is used, the

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

' Application filed June 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,232.

suitable standard 1 having a base 2 for attaching it upon a. support, and a shaft 3 is journaled for rotation through the standard and has secured upon one end a spur gear 4 meshing with a larger spur gear 5. A pulley wheel 6 can be attached to said gear 5 to be belted to an engine or other prime mover, or the apparatus can be operated manually by means of a crank handle 7 attached to the gear 5. When a belt is placed upon the pulley wheel 6, the handle 7 must naturally be eliminated, and when said belt must be removed. Sai'd gear 5 is carried by a stub shaft or axle 8 carried by the standard.

A rotatable bar 9 is secured between its ends upon the other terminal of the shaft 3, to be rotated in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis, and the ends of said bar 9 have stops 10 and 11 projecting therefrom at right angles in, opposite directions. The arms of the bar 9 have longitudinal slots 12 and 13 adjacent the respective stops 10 and 11, and a suitable counter weight 14 bears against the bar 9 and has a bolt 15 or other guiding element engaged through the slot 13. The counter weight 14 can shift longitudinally along the bar 9, and when moved outwardly abuts against the stop 11.

Bearing slidably against the other arm of the bar 9 is a plate or-slide 16 having bolts 17 or other guiding elements engaged through the slot 12. The plate 16 carries a crucible 18 adjacent its inner end, the outlet of which is directed radially outward, and said plate 16 is provided with a U- shaped receptacle 19 for the metal die or mold 20 which is held by the receptacleadjacent to but slightly beyond the outer end,

die is seatable against the closed end of the receptacle and is held seated thereagainst by the centrifugal action when the bar 9 is rotated; The plate 16 in moving outwardly by centrifugal action strikes the stop 10, and the plate 16, crucible 18 and die 20 are counterbalanced by the weight 11, whereby the bar 9 and parts carried thereby will rotate freely.

The die or mold 20, which is constructed of metal or other suitable material, and which can be used repeatedly, is of tubular form, as seen in Fig. 3, and is provided adjacent its inner end with a contracted portion 21 providing a conical or counter sunk recess 22 at the inner end of the die and a restricted aperture 23 extending from the apex of said recess to the inner end of the cavity of the die. The recess 22 'faces the crucible 18 and is adapted to catch the metal which is thrown from the crucible by centrifugal force, and the metal will flowinto the die from the recess 22 with greater force, than simply relying upon the gravitation of the metal. A core'24 projects into the chambe? if the die 20 from the open outer end of 1a; die, and the outer end of the core 24 a". a cap 25 threadedly or otherwise dec3 oly engaged with the outer end of the a The core 24: provides the cavity 26 l ieiving the metal, which in the present #iance will provide a tubular article having a closed rounded end and an open end.

The saient feature of the invention resides 3.5

in the rovision in one wall of the die 20, of air outlet duct or passage 27 having one end communicating with the extreme outer end of the cavity 26. Said duct or passage 27 extends inwardly from the outer end of the cavity 26 or in a direction approximately opposite to the general direction of the flow of metal into the cavity 26 by centrifugal action.

In using the apparatus to carry out the process, supposing the crucible 18 to be filled with molten aluminum or equivalent material, the plate 16 and counter weight 11 are slid inwardly away from their respective stops, and the bar 9 is then rotated at a sufficiently high velocity so that the molten metal will be thrown by centrifugal action from the crucible into the recess 22 and from thence into the cavity 26. The metal is thus forced into the cavity 26 by a sufficiently high pressure, whereby the metal will entirely fill the cavity 26, and it will be noted that the air in advance of the metal within the cavity 26 is forced out ahead of the metal through the duct 27, flowing backwardly through the duct 27 to the atmos phere in the direction opposite to the general direction of the flow of metal into the cavity 26. By this means, the air is forced from the cavity 26 by the inflowing metal, and when the metal fills the cavity 26 and reaches the duct 27, the further flow of metal is stopped, since the metal will not flow backwardly into the duct 27 in opposition to the centrifugal force. When the bar 9 is rotated for transferring the metal from the crucible into the die or mold, the centrifugal action will also cause the plate 16 and parts car-" ried thereby to slide outwardly by centrifugal action, as well as the counter weight 14, and the receptacle 19 and counter weight in striking their stops will serve to jar the die or mold whereby the molten metal is jarred,

thus filling up any voids which might exist,

1. The process of die casting aluminum or equivalent material, consisting of rotating a crucible of the molten material at the inner side of a die for receiving the material by centrifugal force, andjpermitting the air to flow from the outer end of the die toward the inner end thereof in a direction substantially opposite tothe flow of material into the die. w

2. The process of die casting aluminum or equivalent'material, consisting-in rotating a die and a' crucible of the molten material with the crucible at the inner end of said die whereby the material is delivered by centrifugal force into the die, permitting the air-to be discharged from the outer end .of the die toward the inner end thereof in a direction opposite to the direction of the flowof material into the die, and jarring the die during the rotation thereof.

3. An apparatus for die casting aluminum or equivalent material embodying a rotatable member, a (lie carried thereby having means for receiving the material at its inner end and means for the discharge of air extending from the outer end of the die toward the inner end thereof, and a crucible for the molten material carried by said member adjacent the inner end of the 'die.

4. An apparatus for die casting aluminum or equivalent material. comprising a rotata ble member having a stop, a slide carried by said member and movable outwardly against said stop, a die carried by said slide and having means at its inner end for receiving molten material and having means for the outlet of air from the outer end of the die toward the inner end thereof, and a crucible carried by said slide adjacent to the inner end of the die.

5. apparatus for die casting aluminum or equlvalent material, comprising a bar mounted for rotation between its ends and \havingstops at its ends, a slide carried by one arm of said bar and movable outwardly a ainst the respective stop, a counter Weight shdably carried by the other arm of the bar and movable outwardly against the respective stop, a'die carried by the slide and having means at its inner end for receiving molten material and having means for the outlet of air from the outer end of the die toward the inner end thereof, and a crucible 1 carried by said slide adjacent to the inner end of the die.-

6. An apparatus for die casting aluminum mg means at its inner end for receiving the material from the crucible by centrifugal force and means for the outlet of air from the outer. end of the die toward the inner end thereof. 7 apparatus for die casting aluminum orequivalent material embodying a rotatable member, a receptacle carried thereby, a

crucible carried by said member at the inner end of said receptacle, a tubular die seated in said receptacle and having a recess at its inner end facing said crucible and a restricted aperture extending from said recess to the chamber of said die, and a core within the die having a cap at its outer end at tached to the outer end of the die, one wall of the die having an air outlet duct extending from the outer end of the die toward the inner end thereof.

. In testimony that-I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK H. BORST. Witnesses: v Invm F. WAGNER,

S. G. CALLIHAN. 

